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TAM (Treatments and Medicines) NHS Highland
ADULT THERAPEUTIC GUIDELINES
ANTIMICROBIAL GUIDANCE
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Meningitis (Antimicrobial)
Suspected meningococcal disease prior to admission into secondary care (Antimicrobial)

Please update your RDS mobile app to version 4.7.1

We are pleased to advise that deep linking capability, enabling users to directly download individual mobile toolkits, has now been released on the RDS mobile app. When you install the update, you will see that each toolkit has a small QR code icon the header area beside the search icon – see screenshot below. Clicking on this icon will open up a window with a full-size QR code and the alternative of a short URL for sharing with users. Instructions are provided.

You may need to actively install the update to install RDS app version 4.7.1 to see this improvement. Installing this update is also strongly recommended to get the full benefits of the new contingency arrangements – specifically, that if the RDS website should fail, you will still be able to download new mobile app toolkits.

To check your current RDS version, click on the three dots bottom right of the RDS app screen. This takes you to a “More” page where you will see the version number. To install latest updates:

On iPhones – go to the Apple store, click on your profile icon top right, scroll down to see the apps waiting to be updated and update the RDS app.

On Android phones – these can vary, but try going to the Google Play store, click on your profile icon top right, click on “Manage apps and device”, select and update the RDS app.

Please get in touch with ann.wales3@nhs.scot with any questions.

Suspected meningococcal disease prior to admission into secondary care (Antimicrobial)

TAM (Treatments and Medicines) NHS Highland

For glossary of terms see Glossary.

Drug details

IV or IM Benzylpenicillin

Adults and children 10 years and over: 1200mg
Children 1 to 9 years: 600mg
Children under 1 year: 300mg

Give IM if vein cannot be found

OR IV or IM Ceftriaxone

Adults and children 50kg and over: 2 grams
Child under 50kg: 80mg/kg

Give IM if vein cannot be found

OR IV or IM Cefotaxime

Adults: 2 gram
Children 12 to 17 years: 1 gram
Children 1 month to 11 years: 50mg/kg

Give IM if vein cannot be found

Administer intramuscular doses above 1 gram over more than one site

Penicillin/cephalosporin anaphylaxis

Await admission to hospital before administering antibiotics - contact infection specialist.

Last reviewed: 27/08/2020

Next review date: 27/08/2023

Author(s): Antimicrobial management team.

Approved By: TAM Subgroup of ADTC

Reviewer name(s): Alison Macdonald, Area Antimicrobial Pharmacist.

Document Id: AMT144